Whether a Web-only series gets viewers is largely a function of promotion, and on that front only a few sites really matter: YouTube and MySpace.

We partner with MySpace and YouTube… so I agree on that point: promotion makes a lot of difference… however, the problem with series is altogether different:

Promotion is great if you have a good product, but if you have a bad product… you’re dead in the water and all of that money (even if small relative to TV production) has been flushed down the toilet.  Moreover, 99% of web series involve tits and ass and are an insult to any intelligent (or relatively intelligent) person.

More importantly: web series run counter to everything that makes the Web great.  TV media companies can tease viewers by giving them a bit and forcing them to come back the next day (soap opera) or the next week (most drama series).  But online, users want 100% of the info and they want it now… the idea is to create compelling stand alone features and sure, break it up into bite-size segments… but series?

I actually like a lot of what Michael Eisner is saying and doing in the broader video space, but every time I hear he’s burning money on one more series… I think I’m gonna hurl.